Is it difficult to be at IIT Madras if you're not fluent in Tamil?

Not at all! Contrary to popular belief, Tamil is not the most commonly spoken language in IITM. If you're familiar with English or Hindi, you'll be able to live, study and navigate in IIT Madras (and Chennai itself) perfectly well.

Our faculty and staff are used to dealing with students from all over the country so communication will be effortless. The classes themselves are conducted solely in English so no matter where in the country you're from, academics will never be an issue.

In case anyone is not fluent in English, IITM provides optional learning facilities to provide a working knowledge of the language so that classes and interactions proceed hassle-free.